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@uiten gisten datent @fitta FISK RUSSELL., OF CAMBRID GE, MASSACHUSETTS. 'Letters v.VZ-)aient ',No. 66,638, dated July 9, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY-POCKETS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, FISK RUssELL, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Safety-Pocket; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings whichaccompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled iu the art to practise it.

The great facility with which expertl pickpockets manage to abstract the contents of the pockets, even 'of that class of persons who are very careful and observant, either by inserting the hand directly into the mouth of the pocket, or by cutting through the cloth, has caused to be devised pockets having mouths closed by locks, 'and also metal-armored pockets. l

My invention relates to the construction of such safety-pockets for wearing apparel, and the invention consists primarily in combining with the mouth of the pocket a peculiar lock, having a hasp capable of being pressed into the lock to secure them vrmly together, and of sliding within the lock, to enable one part of the pocket to readily yield with reference to the other.

' 'lhe d rawing represents a pocket'embodying the invention. Y

A shows a frontview ofthe same, the outer part being somewhat torn away to showthe lock.- B isa view of' the interior of the lock,'the outer plate being removed. C, a cross-section, showing the lool; in end view. The pocket is shown as made, in two parts, or with an inner locking and armored pocket a, andan outer ordinary pocket I), the inner one having chains c or strips or plates of metal, arranged between the thicknesses of cloth in the front and inthe rear'of it, `or in the front alone, if desirable, the rearprotection being sometimes unnecessary, especially in the pockets of pantaloons. At the mouth of the safety-pocket is applied `the lock al. This'look is constructed as follows: To a main plate, e, is hinged a front plate,f, by a long pin,.g, andthe plate fis pressed Aout from the plate e by a strong spring, h, suitable lips or stops limiting the extent of this outward movement. At the upperV part of the plate e is a rigid flange, z', and the plate fis of such width as to leave along narrow slit or opening 7c between the flange z' and the upper edge of the front'plate, this upper edge having a lip, m, turned in from it. The l1asp-plate n has'a ang or lip, o, turned in and up from it, as seen at C, this flange extending only partially along the hasp-plate, as seen at A. The lock and hasp-plate both have spurs or other suitable provision for securing them to the respective edges of the mouth of4 the pocket to be closed by the lock. l Y

When the pocket is to be secured, the hasp'lip o is pressed against the plate f, forcingit inwards against the spring 71 until the inner part of the lip can be shot upwards, behind the flange t', which being done, the plate f is released, and is pressed out by its spring, bringing the outer surfaces ush, and confining the lip o within theslit c, along which it can slide freely, while it cannot descend far enough to free it from its confinement between the platefand ange z'. It is prevented, however, from sliding endwise out of the slit by suitable stops rf To Open-the pocket, the plate fis again pressed inwards suiciently to allow the-lip o to be slipped down on its outer` surface, when 'the hasp-plate may readily be detached from the lock.

To more securely conne the hasp, however, I employ a spring-bolt, s, hung on a key-stem, t, and having a spring, u, projecting from-or applied to it, this spring extending out to the end of the lock, and having a catch, 1), hooking over the end of the plate e, when the bolt is thrown back. When so thrown back, the bolt lies within a recess, zu, in the flange m of. the front plate f, this recess allowing the plate fto move freely in and out-(as above described) without obstruction from the bolt. If, however, after the hasp has been slipped into the locl, the cat-ch v is released by the finger, the bolt illes in, and coming behindthe lip m on one side of the slit, ell'ectii ally prevents the plate ffrom being" pressed in, and thereby also prevents the hasp from being withdrawn-while the'bolt is in such position.4 By applying a key, however, to the stem t, the bolt may be thrown back, and will be caught back by the spring-catch v,.us will be readily understood.

Thus it will be seen that while the pocket may be Well secured against being pulled open by merely springi ing the hasp into positiom'andI may-be readily opened by-merely pressing in .the plate j and drawing out the hasp, it may be locked against all entrance, excepting with the aid of a key, by simply tripping the bolt-catch, the key having only to be used to open the lock.

substantially as described.

To provide for `carrying such ordinary loose matters as may not require to be secured in the safety-pocket, an open pocket, b, is arranged outside of the safety-pocket, asseenat With the two pockets so combined, nnoney and other valuables may be secured in the inner pocket without liability of`being cnt out or abstracted, and the outer pocket will answer all the immediate purposes of the ordinary loose pocket. l

I claim a' safety or armored pocket, the niouth of which is secured by a hasp which is sprung into a lock,

Also, so arranging the hasp that it may slide in lateral directions in the lock, to enable the respective parts of the pocket to yield freely, substantially asset. forth. v

Also, in combination with the lock and hasp constructed to operate as described, a spring-bolt for locking the'hasp in position, said bolt being thrown forward by tripping a catch, Aand thrown hackvby n key, substantially as set forth.

Also, the arrangement together of a safety-pocket, locking as described, and an ordinary pocket.

FISK RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

W. B. CROSBY, lmuversV GoULn. 

